Softball: Lake Park finishes strong again to beat Glenbard West
Lake Park is earning a reputation as a softball team that does its best work late.
On Friday the Lancers rallied from a 4-run deficit at Glenbard West to win the nonconference game 8-5.
"We are a little bit of a slow-moving team to where we get started late, but it's a good thing that they know when to step on the pedal when they need to," said Lake Park coach James Chellson, who added six of the Lancers' eight wins required late rallies. "It's fun to watch sometimes. Nerve-wracking as a coach because you're waiting for that fifth or sixth inning for them to get started, but they eventually do and it's always nice to see."
Winning pitcher Natalie Grubczak said patience and focus are the key.
"I think I just hit my spots better and just keep focused and hit your spots and your team will help you and they'll hit for you," she said.
Lake Park (8-3) pushed a run across in the top of the first inning only to see the Hilltoppers (1-7) even the score in the bottom of the inning. The Hilltoppers didn't stop there, though. In the second inning Kaitlyn Ohrnstein scored from third on a double steal with Eliza Pasterik batting. After Pasterik walked Amanda Posegay scored in the second on Lexi Gregule's ground-rule double. Katherine Porter scored in the third inning on pitcher Haley Walker's bloop single to right field, and Gregule's fourth-inning home run to left put Glenbard West ahead 5-1.
"I told the girls I thought we played solid maybe four or five innings," Hilltoppers coach Mary McGrane said. "Our Achilles' heel today was errors."
The Lancers picked up a run in the fifth inning when leadoff hitter Julia Caesar scored, but the sixth was when Lake Park took the lead. Catcher Melanie Bogus' bases-loaded double to center drove in Megan McCabe, Emily Frank and Grubczak. When Bogus scored on Caesar's grounder, the Lancers led 6-5. They added two insurance runs in the seventh.
"It's always nice when your pitcher contributes on both sides of the field," Chellson said of Grubczak, who went 3-for-3 with a sacrifice bunt and a seventh-inning double. "She definitely got up there and took her hacks at the plate, which is nice because she doesn't get to swing the bat too often, but she always says that she wants the opportunities and she proved herself today."
Gregule had the big bat for the Hilltoppers. She went 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.
"Lexi had great approaches at the plate today," McGrane said. "I thought Amanda Posegay did. Katherine Porter had a nice hit. It's nice to see our progress coming offensively too, just with being more settled in the box, attacking our pitch, getting the counts a little more in our favor."
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